Am I "power feeding" my BP?

There's a lot of talk in the Boa constrictor community about power feeding boas. I first noticed it on the iKipedia. Basically, it said, the animal will power feed, at the cost of a shorter life.

My BP is 21 weeks old and has eaten six pinkies and a small mouse (under my care; he was at the pet store for four weeks where he got one pinkie a week which i haven't included). The mouse is digested, and he's due to be fed in about a week.

I feed him because he displays hunger behaviour not because I'm trying to build the anaconda morph.

He's very active for a ball python, with one side of the tank in the higher 90's and the other side in the lower 80's (it's been hard to keep it cooler because of the 100F heat here in DC). So he's always cruising around, crawling on his toys. He has a very large bowl of water that he goes swimming in, I think partly to cool off a little.

Anyone have feedback on his food intake?

edit: he's grown huge. he's 19" long and well thicker around now than a US quarter.

He probably is hungry, youre not feeding him enough. Hatchling ball pythons usually start out on hoppers or small adult mice, pinky mice are too small for them even when they are right out of the egg. Feeding him an small adult mouse once a week is a normal schedule, no where near powerfeeding.

On the other hand, powerfeeding would be closer to feeding an adult mouse every 3 days. Thats when you end up with a fat, possibly unhealthy animal.

Yep, you are going in the opposite direction. Your snake should be eating at least 1 adult mouse per week.

I agree...feed him appropriatly sized meals

Massively underfeeding.

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Originally Posted by pfan151

Yep, you are going in the opposite direction. Your snake should be eating at least 1 adult mouse per week.

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okay. gotta work up to the adult mouse. he's not big enough yet, but he's going to get another small mouse, and that ought to get him growing up right quick.

thanks to you both.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by avriette

okay. gotta work up to the adult mouse. he's not big enough yet, but he's going to get another small mouse, and that ought to get him growing up right quick.

thanks to you both.

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All but the smallest hatchling balls can take adult mice for their first feedings. There's nothing to work up to...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by avriette

okay. gotta work up to the adult mouse. he's not big enough yet, but he's going to get another small mouse, and that ought to get him growing up right quick.

thanks to you both.

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Thicker around than a US quarter and at his age - he can easily take an adult mouse.

"All but the smallest hathlings can take adult mice"?

How big do you think these adult mice are?
I've had my bp have some trouble with mice that were too big.

also the temps need to come down alittle on the hot side. you dont want it to be going over 95 degrees for very long. i keep my snakes hot spot at 93 degress(thats the hottest it will ever get), and the cool side is at 77-78 degress. please read the care sheet!

http://ball-pythons.net/modules/Sect...warticle&id=59